The light bulb, the soda stream, and an Anne Hathaway public leave of absence. These are all examples of good ideas. Another good idea? Putting a new-age American restaurant anywhere in Santa Monica. Heck, you could throw an American Cuisine sign over a mop and a bucket on the Westside and people would make a reservation. Now putting one on Montana Avenue? That’s foolproof.

Because outside of Father’s Office, some fro-yo, and a cougar-filled Hillstone restaurant, Montana is a wine-drenched food desert. Guess nobody else gets hungry shopping at Chico’s all day? With almost zero neighboring competition, all Ox and Son really had to do was not f*ck it up. And with a well-priced menu in a welcoming space that's perfect for the area, we’re happy to report they didn’t.

We certainly could have gone the rest of our lives without seeing “FLAVOR COUNTRY” printed on the top of the menu, but this is what we get for letting Guy Fieri talk on television. The menu otherwise is composed of new takes on traditional comfort food and results range anywhere from expected (another day, another avocado toast) to exceptional. We mean it when we say that chicken fried duck confit is worth driving across the city for.

The rustic interior is also far more casual than its exterior leads on, and that’s good news for Ox and Son. Montana might be a particularly Tony part of Santa Monica but the locals still prefer being able to grab a laid-back bite to eat and a healthy pour of chardonnay after the kids go to bed. Ox and Son lets them do that. And let’s everyone else enjoy this well-executed and much- needed addition to the area. Keep the good ideas coming, Santa Monica.

Food Rundown

Prime Beef Tartare

The duck confit gets the press, but this might actually be the best thing on the menu. Depending on your tolerance for leprosy, the dish doesn’t look that great sitting on plate, but don’t alarmed. With its truffled egg and sesame brioche, this is an all-star, must-order item at Ox and Son.

O&S Burger

It’s by no means a bad burger, but no way are we eating this over Father’s Office down the block.

Kennebec Fries

Yeah, these are addicting as f*ck. They’re fresh cut, with herbs and parmesan peppered on top and we’re all about them.

Prime Charcrust Hanger Steak

The sneaky ingredient here is the black miso. It takes what would be an otherwise- expected dish and makes it really great.

Benton's Ham & Corn Griddle Cake

Sweet, salty, and porky, are our favorite three adjectives, and all three are on display here with this Beton's ham topped griddle cake. The key is really the maple butter in the mix. Breakfast for dinner never tasted so good.

Mussel And Tomato Chorizo Poutine

What's more American than french fries? Canadian french fries. Poutine, typically a cheese curd and gravy topped pile of glorious mess, gets an upgrade here with mussels, chorizo, tomato sauce,
and cotija cheese. It's kind of like a spanish stew, on top of fries. Do with that info what you wish.

Chicken Fried Duck Confit

The word is out about this dish and rightfully so. It’s a crispy godd*mn ball of heaven. It looks kind of like a hushpuppy when it hits the table but it’s so much more than that. And the house kimchi slaw underneath is worth your time as well. We have the sweats just thinking about it.